DoubleClick Snags Bertelsmann License

Online ad company DoubleClick Inc. has won a three-year contract to serve ads and email products across a universe of properties under the roof of German media giant Bertelsmann.

The license includes DoubleClick’s, AdServer, DART for Publishers and its DARTmail marketing products.

The deal would put DoubleClick to work serving ads and email marketing campaigns for major Bertelsmann properties such as RTL Group (Europe’s largest TV and Radio network), book publishing giant Random House, and music conglomerate BMG.

Tom Curran, chief technology officer of Bertelsmann, said the contract gives Bertelsmann a chance to offer advertisers the best implementation for their campaigns across a number of Bertelsmann Web sites. “This is an excellent example of how we can meaningfully bundle our strengths and interests.”

The arrangement is also expected to help the media giant bundle more of its offerings as it manages its many-fingered online promotional efforts, both internally and externally.

For example, Bertelsmann’s e-book and music club unit, DirectGroup, purchased Boston-based email marketer Zooba.com last spring as part of its efforts to increase targeted marketing.

The New York-based DirectGroup claims more than 50 million customers and members for its book and music clubs, and its e-commerce sales business.